Improvement in clothes-line fastener



c "lowing is a specification.

` post.

l A placed.

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A EPHRAIM ELLIOTT, Or GUYAHOGA' FALLS, OHIO,l AND lUni J. BAXTER jOEAWASHINGTON,#DISTRICT 'or COLUMBIA.

` lLettev'slPatcnt No. 105,927, dated-August 2, 1,870.

rarrziovnmnnr 1N cLoTHns-Lmr'. resumen.

The Schedule referred to in theseLettvera Patent making parl: of the same. .i

A 'WarnnArn KJELLIorT, of Cuyahoga Falls,in the'connty 'of Summit and State of Ohio, and URI J.

BAXTER, of Washington' city, in the District of Oolumba, have invented certain Improvements in Fast- .eners for Glothes-Lines, Ropes, &c., of' which the fol- The nature'of ,our invention relates `toim-provements 1n clutches or clamps for securely holding ropes, wires, &c., in the required positions when used as clothes-lines, mooring-lines, or for any purpose where i A extended ropes orflines, requiring a ready means of fastening and release are used.` i i i AIt consists of a swivel-post, provided with a clamp device, 'composed ot'ga grooved `sernicircularv level', "pivoted to the post, andchaving'one side .'cutuwith ratchetteeth, to receive afpawl, also pivoted 4to the The grooved leverworks against a projecting plate or jaw, between which andjthe lever the rope to be secured passes upward along the groove, and over the upper end or arm of the'lever. l

i A ,'lhe pawl, engagingV with the ratchet, keeps the levergin lposition, andthereby lmaintainsthe clutch upon the rope, irrespective of the varying pressure' o'n the end of the lever,caused bythe swaying ac- "`tion of` the wind or tideupon-the extended'rope, while any tendencyou the part of the ropeto'slip out of the groove, or` over thesideof the lever, from.`

the same or like causes, is counteracted by the action' :ofthe swivelturning in the direction of the pressure,

and thus at all times presenting the-upper endof the lever directly thereto. A

`In positions where the `extended rope is not sub- 1 jectgto` the action of thewind,`or from other causes, `toa pendulous or vbratory motion, the lswivel attachment may be dispensed with, and the clamp de vice secured to plates of Ysuitable size and shape, con'- venientl to the situation' in 4which they are to vbe Figure 2 isa sectional view of iig. 1,2011 the line yFigures 3, 4, and `iiV showdi'erent-shaped plates,

having the attachment as suited'jto diferentpositions id whieh they may-be secured.` A

'Arepresents a clothes-line or snubbingpost.A

A B, a cap," made in two sections, andfwitl a socket, l to receive the halleudl of th'eswivel-post C.

lever. A

The cap is secured by bolts b passing through post A4 :be of sufficient strength for the position in which it is placed, and the strain it may have to bear.`

D is a plate orr jaw projecting from the post C,

and'having its inner sideribbed, so asto bite the Arope. when pressedV against its surface by the lever E,

which is pivoted -to 'the swivel-'post by means of lug F.

The lever E is .made semicircular, and guttered, so as to present a concave' groove on its .'inner surface throughout its entire length, though more or less flatteued atthe lower end wher'et bites the rope. For flat lines it can be made flat, instead of with a-rounded gutter, the raised iim in that ease extending about half way `down the are.

The I ever is pivoted to thelng vF a little nearer its lower than its upper end, so asto allow of a more extended contact with the rope above-the fulerum than below it. A i

This arrangement of a long and s hortarm secures greater pressurey and a' firmer hold on the rope, while i the circular form of the lever promotes an equal press- -ure on all parts of contact, therebyl preventing abrasion of the rope.

YRatchet-teeth, e e e, are cut on the inner edge or il( nge of' the lever, and a pawl,l G, pivoted'in a plate, H, secured to thepost C, engages` therewith, for the. purpose of keeping the lever ih position for holding the-rope when the strainis relaxed. Y

K K K,gs. 3, 4, and 5, are plates of-dierent forms, to which are attached substantially the sameA devices, for the purpose as hereinbe'ore described.

`.lhe operation of thedevice is as follows:

The end of the rope or line to be secured is passed between the jaw D and the lever, and thel line carried up along the groovc, and overthe upper arm of the The strain of --the rope, bearing down upon the upper arm, will then compress its end *between the jaw and the lower arm, and hold it there, while thepawl G, engaging withv the ratchet, will keep the lever in thatposition, whetherthe strain von-the rope is relaxed or not, and-'the movement of the swivel, obedient to the varying line of pressure, prevents the line from slipping over the side of the lever.

When itis. desired tp'release the rope, all that is necessary is to raise` the pawl, and vpull on the end aid of a. libbed projection or plate.

of -the rope, or slide the rope over tbe side of t-be le- 2. The combination of swivel-post C, or its equivaf ver, when it; will .release itself by its own gravity. lent', with lever E, jawD, and pawl G, substantially We do not claim as our invention the use of a cami as and for"th'er purpose specified. Y

lever for fastening ropes, either with or witbout-tbe E. K. ELLIOTT.

e URI J. BAXTER.

What weclaim is- 1.' The lever E, constructed as described, and having ratchet-teeth, e, in combination with pawl G and jaw D, arranged and operating substantially as and Witnesses:

T. C. CoNNoLLY, THos. S. MERCER.

for the purpose specified. 

